The agitation for statehood to Telangana enters a decisive phase on the 17th of February with a peaceful ‘non-cooperation’ movement being spearheaded by the Govt. Employees of this region.
Injustice in filling up government jobs in Telangana has been one of the major grievances of people of this region. Successive commissions and committees appointed by state government have confirmed that thousands of jobs belonging to the Telangana region were illegally grabbed by people of other regions. Quite understandably, public employees are one of the most active sections in the statehood agitation. While extending complete support to the agitation, these employees have not entered the agitation directly for the last one year.
Now, they have decided to enter the Telangana movement directly by issuing a notice to the state govt. that they would be launching a ‘non-cooperation’ movement from 17th of February. The Telangana NGOs Association and Telangana Gazetted Officers Association have jointly issued a statement to this effect last week. The Telangana Teachers Joint Action Committee – an umbrella organization of various government teacher’s unions has also decided to join the non-cooperation movement. Employees of the Revenue department, Irrigation department and Commercial Taxes Department have also pledged their support to the non-cooperation movement.
Other employee organizations, which have decided to participate in this movement include Telangana Electricity Employees JAC (TEEJAC), Telangana Doctors JAC, JAC of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, JAC of Hyderabad Metro Water Works and Sewarage Board, Singareni Coal Miners, and employees of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation etc.
It should be remembered here that about 70% of the revenue collections of Andhra Pradesh state government come from the Telangana region. And with all the revenue-collecting departments joining the Telangana non-cooperation movement, the state govt’s cash flow would be severely crippled.
Employee unions have already warned the state government that any attempt to use force against employees or invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would only result in intensifying the agitation.
Telangana Political JAC (TJAC) has also come up with a series of protests to coincide with the ‘non-cooperation’ movement. The TJAC has appealed to Telangana citizens not to pay their taxes, power bills and also stop paying toll fee and stop buying tickets in APSRTC buses.
The TJAC plans for a complete shut down of the region starting 22nd of February.